


Dudley Dursley and the Birthday Wish

by Desslok



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 14:23:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13789584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Desslok/pseuds/Desslok
Summary: A unique story focusing on Dudley. Hard to describe, really, but hopefully worth your time. Not entirely HP7 compliant, but close. I started this story over a decade ago. I'm very glad to mark it finally complete. :)





	1. The Birthday Party

**Author's Note:**

> I started this story in 2005 for a Wizard Tales challenge. I got stuck after the first four chapters, and only finished it this past January. This is another ff.net import. I was stunned when the relationship tag appeared as an option to then to see that there are a handful of other Dudley/Luna stories on AO3. I'm going to keep telling myself that I invented this pairing, though! :)

 Disclaimer: Like the ascetics of old, I own nothing but my own thoughts, dreams, and ideas, my sins and my good deeds. JK Rowling, on the other hand, is the richest woman in England and owns all the fabulous characters about whom you are about to read. As I humbly genuflect at the altar of her genius, I hope against hope that someday she will read my trivial tales, that they will bring her a modicum of the joy she has brought to me over the years, and that she will desist from pressing charges against me or this exquisite website.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

_He ran screaming through the night. The light from the lampposts faded and died before it could reach him and he stumbled in the darkness. 'Not again' he thought pitifully, feeling the alien force hover over him and smother his senses. His heart slowed, the world slipped away, and he was dragged back into the familiar, hated morass. The images flashed through his head, each burning itself into his very being._

_He saw himself grossly expanded and distorted, fat, flabby, and menacing, towering over the world, eyes blazing in murderous rage. He felt the hatred and fear of every child he had ever bullied._

_He saw himself in ridiculous outfits, picking his nose and drooling lightly. He felt the disdain, the mocking pity of his teachers, his coaches, the parents of his friends._

_He saw himself handing out candy, money, gifts, dressed in a great clown suit, prancing about to entertain. He felt the greed and derision of those he thought his friends._

_He saw nothing, nothing at all. He felt the absence of notice, the complete disregard in which so many people held him._

_He saw a strange child, small and happy, completely alien. He felt the cold love that his parents had for this child who was nothing at all like himself._

_He saw himself through the eyes of everyone he had ever known. Everyone, except one. And, as he always did, he screamed and screamed. The swirling force coalesced over his face and he could feel his life's breath being drawn slowly, achingly, out of his body. Suddenly, there was a burst of light._

Dudley awoke in a cold sweat, his hands shaking. He turned his bleary eyes to the clock by his bed. 5:15 am. Mum and Dad would still be asleep, but Dudley knew that he was awake for good. Moving quietly for such a large person, he pulled on some sweatpants and his running shoes. Tugging a hoody over his head, he crept down the stairs. As he opened the door, he heard his father's harsh voice call down drowsily, "Watch'a doing down there for?"

"Training," Dudley replied quickly. He did not wait for a reply.

The light of the false dawn diffused through a grey sky as he set out at a brisk pace down Privet Drive. Normally, Dudley didn't like to think. He liked to do things. Doing things was fun. It was easy. Doing things had helped him go from being the fat kid in class to being the big kid in class, the one everyone ran away from rather than the one everyone mocked. Doing things made him feel strong. Thinking made him feel small and funny inside.

The pounding of his shoes against the wet pavement sent up a light mist around his legs as he jogged on. There was something about running; it was different from when he lifted weights or fought, in or out of the ring. It was like he was doing something, but he could also think. Dudley found he enjoyed running. Deep down, he knew he had a problem. The nightmares kept getting worse and worse. With them came strange new feelings that he struggled to understand.

'I wonder if he remembers,' the young man thought as he ran past the place where it had all happened. 'I can't believe he would forget about that.' Even if he hadn't been reliving it every night this week, Dudley knew he would never lose the memories of that particular episode. 'Dementors, he called them,' Dudley recalled with a shudder.

Turning now past the park, Dudley ran along a winding, wooded lane, weaving in and out of the trees just for fun. One thing Dudley immensely disliked thinking about was his cousin. Before the incident, he hadn't found him worth thinking about, except when he was bored and looking for something to do for a lark. Ever since, though, he didn't like thinking about him for entirely different reasons. Guilt had been a new and most uncomfortable experience for Dudley Dursley.

Dudley sped up his pace to vary his heart rate, recalling the last time he had seen his cousin. Jealousy flared along with his pulse as he remembered the way that those redheads had been acting. They'd popped up all over the living room, nearly scaring mum to death. They had not looked at Pottter the way Dudley's friends looked at him. No one had ever looked at Dudley the way those Weaselby's had looked at Potter. The thought made Dudley very sad. Suddenly, he realized the sadness was not new, but rather something that had always been with him, but which he had never before recognized. Potter's friends loved him, but they also respected him. They cared about him and valued him. Dudley felt the moisture in the air pooling in his eyes as he thought back to the way the girl Weaselby had clung to his cousin, gazing up at him in rapt adoration. She was a bit scrawny, and Dudley had no use for redheads, but all in all, she wasn't bad. He preferred blondes.

'What's she see in him anyway,' Dudley thought, now doing a lap at his old high school. "His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad." That had been a great prank, dropping a toad into the pickle jar for a day and then setting it on Potter's plate one dinner time long ago. At least, it had seemed so at the time. In retrospect, Dudley supposed it had been a bit cruel. His parents always gave Potter less than him to eat.

The sun slipped gently over the horizon, illuminating the thin fog that hung over the quiet streets of Little Whinging. Dudley turned around and headed for home. One thing had become clear. He needed to talk to his cousin. Never, in any nightmare, had he ever seen or felt what Harry thought of him. That must mean something. He had saved him that night after all, hadn't he? He suddenly realized he had no idea where his cousin might be. He dimly recalled that the Weaselby's had been very happy, talking about something finally being all over. They'd helped Harry gather up his stuff for the last time. Dudley had noticed that Harry had appeared a bit paler and more hunched over than usual, but he'd seemed pretty happy as well. 'I'd be happy, too,' Dudley realized, again remembering the way Harry had been surrounded by friends, with a girlfriend hanging on his arm.

\----

"Godric's Hollow," Dudley announced to himself. He felt a surge of pride. It had only taken him an hour to track down his cousin on the Internet. All those years of surfing the web for porn had obviously paid off! He pulled up Mapquest and printed the directions. It was only a few hours away. He hadn't found the phone number or street address, but figured he could track Harry down in a small village like this one. He read through the article once more. Apparently Harry, some bird named Harmony, and a bunch of Weaselby's had saved some orphans from a burning house near a place called Little Hangington. The author didn't say how the orphans had got there, why Harry and his crew had been in Little Hangington, or how the fire had started. There'd been a couple casualties, though the only one they'd identified by name was a man named Riddle. At the end it mentioned that Mr. Potter resided in Godric's Hollow. Dudley chuckled suddenly, realizing that the paper has misspelled Weaselby.

"Going out with your little friends then, Duddikins?" Petunia asked as Dudley came down the stairs swinging his car keys. His parents had bought him a cherry-red Mini for his 18th birthday.

"Yeah, sure. Don't wait up, mum, I might be a bit late."

"Ok dear! Have fun!" Petunia smiled and patted him on the head as she had been doing since he was a baby.

"You know, I am 18 now, mum," Dudley complained.

"You'll always be my ittle-bitty Duddipoo!" she replied, turning to complete her dusting.

"That's part of the problem," Dudley muttered to himself as he stepped outside. Sometimes he really hated his name. He got into his car and hit the road. He hadn't quite worked out what he was going to say or do when he got there, but somehow things had started to feel right again, just a little. It was good to be doing something.

\------

Harry Potter sat in the breakfast nook in his kitchen, ruefully shaking his head. From the dining room, he could hear the music and lively chatter of a party in full swing. His fiancé reached across the table and ran her hand through his eternally mussy black hair.

"We should have known better than to try to throw a surprise party for Luna," he said with a warm smile.

Ginny Weasley (soon to be Ginny Potter) laughed playfully and nodded in agreement. "I suppose you're right, luv, but… well, at least someone was surprised."

Harry and Ginny had thought they had been quite careful. They had planned the event almost as carefully as they had the final battle with Voldemort. Working closely with Ron, Hermione, Neville and Hannah, they had contacted Luna's friends and family, arranged for the food and decorations, even enlisted Mr. Lovegood to bring Luna at the prescribed time, ostensibly for a small dinner to discuss the possibility of granting the _Quibbler_ exclusive rights to cover the wedding.

Everyone had gathered in the dark of Ginny and Harry's den, watching the fireplace expectantly. When the fire had flared, they'd all shouted "Surprise!" only to find a bewildered Mr. Lovegood all by himself. "I couldn't find her anywhere," he explained, dusting himself off.

While the assembled guests began to discuss what to do, Harry glanced over into a dark corner of the room. His jaw dropped as he realized that Luna was standing right there, munching happily on some potato chips next to the snack table. Noticing his gaze, she smiled brightly.

"Surprise!" she said cheerfully.

"How… when… what…." Harry babbled at her.

"Oh, I slipped in the side door a while back. You all were having so much fun waiting it seemed a shame to spoil things. Great party, Harry and Ginny!" Luna smiled happily at both of them.

"Luna, how did you know about the party?" Ginny finally had recovered her wits enough to speak.

"I know lots of things," she replied, shaking her long blonde hair out a bit. It actually looked as though she had spent some time working on it, as it lacked its usual scraggly appearance. "Today's my birthday after all. I expect that now that I'm 18, it'll get a bit easier to know things in the right order. Seeing the past is fun, but the future is a bit more exciting."

"Do you see visions, Luna? Divinations?" Hermione had yanked Ron over to the center of the commotion. Her skeptical expression indicated her lack of faith in such powers.

"Everyone sees things, Hermione," Luna explained in a patient tone, not unlike the one Hermione typically used when speaking to her husband. "Well, except blind people, I suppose. And the Blickering Snorkblatts, of course. But I suppose they wouldn't really need to see, living underground on the dark side of the moon and all. Underground. I wonder if there should be a different term. Undermoon, maybe."

"You going to drink that, mate?" Ron whispered to Harry, gesturing to the glass of wine in his best friend's hand. "I think I could use it. She always makes my head spin."

All around them, their friends returned to the business of having fun. Fred, or George…some Weasley started the music up again and raised the lights back up to a nice low dimness. Ginny and Harry's home had an assortment of both Muggle and magic devices. Harry thought that this was the main reason Mr. Weasley came by so often, but Ginny knew better. Her parents would not have let her move in with just any boy before being wed, but they'd allowed it with Harry. Still, he was her father after all and often "popped in" to visit.

Neville Longbottom approached the corner where Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione stood chatting with Luna, a bit of a skittish look on his face. "Hey Luna," he said cautiously.

"Hello, Nevvy," the birthday girl replied with a warm grin. "Did Hannah come with you? Oh yes, there she is, standing over there pretending not to watch." Luna waved in a friendly manner towards Hannah across the room. "Congratulations on little Alice!"

All the color drained out of Neville's face. "Alice?"

"Oh that's right." Luna looked down at her wristwatch. It seemed to be upside down and Harry could have sworn he saw letters as well as numbers around the edges. "Well, pretend to be surprised then."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, staring seriously at Luna. "Luna, what other visions have you had of the future?"

Luna shook her head and sighed patiently once again. She spoke very slowly. "Hermione, I've tried to explain to you, there is no past and no future. It's all just one big thing. Visions are visions. Yesterday, I had a vision of myself wearing a large, silly lion hat that roared."

"You did wear that hat!" Ron shouted. "You wore it to our Quidditch game fifth year."

"See, my vision came true," Luna replied, as if that settled everything.

"That was a memory, not a vision!" Hermione's voice raised to a volume just shy of a scream. Ron patted her on the shoulder and pulled her gently to his side. She sobbed in frustration and let Ron lead her away. As he rescued his wife, Ron looked over his shoulder with a broad smile. "Happy birthday, Luna!"

"And to you, Ronald!" Luna called after them.

Harry's sides ached with the effort of holding his laughter. He looked over and could see from the tell-tale crinkles at the edges of Ginny's eyes that she was as close to losing it as he was. Ginny gave Luna a quick hug and the two of them left their guest of honor to mingle with the rest of her friends. And so, they made their way into the kitchen where they sat for a bit, still happy to revel in the sheer pleasure of each other's company.

After a wonderful interlude staring into Ginny's deep brown eyes, Harry sighed and stood up. "I guess it's time for the cake." Ginny nodded and moved to help him. She had never baked a cake before and felt a bit anxious about it. Ginny was keenly aware that her mother had been the first person ever to feed her future husband proper home-cooked meals and felt quite pressured to live up to that high standard.

Harry gestured with his wand and a low table rolled into the kitchen from the pantry. On it, there lay a simple, though large, sheet cake. Ginny had decided to start out with something relatively basic. It was a pumpkin cake with white frosting, Luna's favorite Neville had assured them. On the white background, Ginny had created a passable image of Luna with colored frosting, along with the words "Happy Birthday." As Harry and Ginny looked down at it to make sure it was ok, they felt a third presence beside them.

"You'll get much better," Luna said calmly, dipping a finger into the frosting and bringing it to her lips. "I'm really looking forward to the two-tiered devil's food cake you did for the twins' fifth birthday." Ginny's eyes widened and Harry blushed fiercely, though he couldn't help the sudden warm smile that spread across his face. Ginny looked up at him in wonder and a bit of terror, mouthing the word 'twins' while resting her hands on her lean, flat stomach. Harry kissed her gently and then turned to Luna.

"I think we'd be happier not knowing about any visions, Luna," he said politely. "We like to be surprised." Luna shrugged simply in mute acquiescence.

"What about you, Luna?" Harry asked, trying to change the subject. "Any idea what's in store for you?"

She shrugged again. "I don't pay too much attention. I mean, other people's lives are just so much more interesting. I'm just a normal, boring person." She either didn't hear or chose to ignore Ginny's stifled giggles.

"You look very nice today," Harry went on, kicking Ginny's foot lightly. "Did you decide to get done up for the party?" Harry began to roll the cake out into the other room. Somehow, he knew that there was no point in trying to get Luna to sit still while everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to her.

"Nope," Luna answered simply. "Today's a big night, though, isn't it." She looked down at her watch. "He should be here soon. I wonder what he's like." The guests gathered around them as Ginny flicked her wand toward the cake, covering it with 18 lit candles. Luna suddenly became aware that everyone was waiting on her to do something.

"Blow out the candles and make a wish, dear," her father said, standing near her side.

"Happy birthday," Luna announced, leaning forward to blow out the candles. After she did so, getting every single one, she added, "I just wish he'd get here so we could get on with it then."

\--------

As Dudley expected, Godric's Hollow was a small village. Other than the post office and pub, there wasn't much in the center of things. After half an hour of driving about, he felt he'd found the right house. Through open windows, he could see a large number of people milling about, as if at a party, but there were no cars to be found outside. Instead, he noted a number of brooms leaning near the front door. He had hoped to find Harry alone, though he still had no idea of what he was to say to him. Dudley didn't feel much in the mood for a party, especially one he hadn't been invited to join, but he'd driven too far to turn back now.

The door was partially open to let the cool evening air inside, so Dudley knocked once and opened it slowly, unsure what to expect. At first glance, everything looked surprisingly normal. Everyone was dressed in normal clothes; normal music was playing on a normal stereo. He noted a normal looking cake with candles still smoking and figured it must be someone's birthday.

All eyes turned to Dudley as he stood in the doorway. Most of the young people in the house did not recognize him and began to worry that they had made too much noise and attracted Muggle law enforcement. Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys, however, stood there mouths agape. They would have expected the late, unlamented Voldemort himself to crash the party before they'd have expected Dudley Dursley.

Only one person seemed completely unsurprised to see him. Dudley's heart gave a quick lurch as a young woman with long, blond hair and huge, luminous silver-grey eyes walked up to him confidently, as if she'd been expecting him. The rest of the room faded away as he lost himself in her radiant smile. When she leaned up and kissed him soundly on the cheek, he felt as if he'd collapse if not for the doorway holding him up.

"It's about time you got here," Luna said dreamily. "You're just in time for cake." She stepped away and then paused, remembering something. "Oh, my name is Luna Lovegood." She curtseyed smartly and waited expectantly. Whatever she expected, Dudley found himself incapable of determining or providing it.

"And you are?" Luna asked.

Dudley lifted a finger to his cheek, feeling the moist warmth her lips had left behind. "I'm Dudley. Dudley Dursley."

"No, that won't do at all. Not a good name at all. Besides, Harry doesn't like that name and we'll need him to babysit. Oh well, I expect I'll come up with something better soon enough." She reached out and patted his head fondly before moving back to the cake. Taking the knife out of Harry's paralyzed hands, she efficiently began cutting pieces.

 


	2. The Birthday Party

 As Luna took the knife from his hands, Harry snapped out of his confused stupor. He shot a quick glance into the corner where Fred, George, and Ron stood, clearly ready to draw their wands, and warned them off with a curt shake of his head. Striding forward, he grabbed Dudley none too gently by the hand and pulled him forward, saying "Kitchen, now."

Dudley, still in a state of shock himself, silently let Harry draw him into the next room, though his eyes lingered on the beautiful blonde girl cutting the cake. Noting his gaze, she smiled warmly at him and set to one side a particularly large piece of cake, fending off anyone who tried to get a hold of it. As they entered Harry's kitchen, breaking his eye contact with the girl, Dudley came to his senses and yanked his hand back. He noticed that the Weaselby girl had followed them and stood by Harry's side, glaring at him. Recalling previous encounters with Weaselbys, Dudley raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. Harry simply pointed to a chair and barked, "Sit." For a moment, Dudley felt his temper flare. How dare his wimpy freak of a cousin order him about! After a moment, however, he recalled his long drive and the reason for his trip and calmed himself down. Dudley's cardio training had helped him learn to control his temper. It was no different really than slowing your heart rate, just a matter of deep breaths and concentration. Dudley took a seat by the kitchen table and waited. The girl was whispering something to some people by the doorway, shaking her head. Harry just stared at him in disbelief. Finally, Harry sat down across from him, the girl coming over to stand behind him, her hands laid protectively on his shoulders.

"Why are you here, Dudley?" Harry asked suspiciously. "Has something happened to Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia?"

"Huh? No, they're fine," Dudley responded, glancing once over his shoulder back into the party room. He couldn't see the blonde girl from here and briefly considered moving his chair a bit, before realizing he should probably focus on what he came to do. "Same as ever, really," he added sourly, rolling his eyes at the thought of his mum patting his head like he was a baby.

"I'm sorry to hear that," the girl said quickly, causing Harry to laugh.

"Yeah, you don't have to live with them, do you?" Dudley shot back. Oddly, the insult to his parents didn't inspire any desire to defend them. Instead, the thought of them made Dudley suddenly angry. He dimly remembered something some very old man had said while visiting Harry. He hadn't understood at the time, but that was starting to change.

Harry's eyes flashed as Dudley snapped at Ginny, but he held his tongue. Something was obviously going on with Dudley, but he had no idea what. Luna's behavior only made it all seem that much more unreal. "I'll ask again, Dudley. Why are you here?" Dudley's eyes shot up to meet Ginny's. Though he could not see her face, Harry knew all too well the expression Dudley was finding there. Ginny wasn't going anywhere, and Harry did not mind one bit. Her comforting touch helped him more than she could ever know. Dudley apparently figured out what Harry already knew. He sighed in resignation and began to explain.

"Well it's not like there's anyone else I could ask, is there?" he began, suddenly uncomfortable. Dudley had enough trouble dealing with the things going around in his head; talking about them was definitely not something he was going to enjoy.

"Ask about what?" Harry prodded, struggling to guess where this was going.

Dudley just couldn't do it. For his entire life, he'd been taught that his cousin was a freak, someone beneath notice. Though he knew that he had many wrong ideas about Harry, the idea of talking to him, especially about such personal and embarrassing things, was too much for Dudley to bear. Just as he was about to spring out of his chair, dash to his car, and give it all up, he felt a soft, gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up noting Harry and the Weaselby girl's stunned expressions. The blonde girl… had she said her name was Luna? ... had returned. She gazed down at him with a fond expression as she slid that piece of cake in front of him, along with a small plastic fork.

"Here, eat that. You must have had a really long drive, so I imagine you're hungry," she said calmly, patting his shoulder again with her free hand. Dudley stared into her deep, grey eyes, astounded at what he saw there. She looked at him as if she'd known him her entire life, but he knew without a doubt that he'd never met her before tonight. There was no way he could ever have forgotten meeting such a wonderful girl. She was right about one thing, though. He was very hungry. He eagerly took up the fork and dove into the cake.

"Didn't Ginny do a wonderful job with the cake?" Luna asked him, politely waiting till he was in between mouthfuls.

"Yeah," Dudley replied. "Which one is Ginny?"

"Harry! Didn't you even introduce your fiancée? You are usually such a polite boy!" Luna shook her head disappointedly. "That is Ginny right there behind Harry."

Ginny, again flabbergasted by Luna, could only nod her head in greeting.

"Good cake," Dudley said with a smile. Eating made him feel much better about things.

Luna gave him a satisfied smile and ruffled his hair a bit. "I'll let you get back to your conversation now. Tell Harry all about it; it will make you feel better. I'll check on you a bit later." Her expression turned puzzled. "Bryan? No, that doesn't work. Aloysius? No…" Luna wandered off muttering random names to herself.

Dudley felt suddenly alone, but also more at ease. "So, you're getting married, huh. Congratulations, I guess."

"Thanks," Harry muttered, trying and failing to make any sense of the evening.

"The thing is," Dudley began, "I keep having these dreams about that night when the thing… the Dementor… attacked and when I try to figure them out, it all comes back to you." Luna was right. It did feel better to talk about it, to get the things out of his head and out into the open.

Harry took a deep breath, reaching up to touch Ginny's hands which had started to massage his shoulders gently. Putting Luna aside for a moment, he focused on what Dudley seemed to be trying to say. "You've been having dreams…"

"Nightmares, really," Dudley corrected, a bit embarrassed.

"Nightmares, then," Harry continued. "And somehow I'm involved."

"No, you're not involved, and that's what's strange."

Harry looked up at Ginny, lost again. Fortunately, Ginny began to have an inkling about what Dudley meant.

"Can you describe your nightmare, Dudley?" Ginny asked.

"It's always the same thing, the stuff that I saw when that thing attacked me. I'm not me any more. I'm everyone else."

"What do you mean 'everyone else'?" she prodded.

"Everyone else," Dudley explained. "I'm my parents, my friends, my coach, people in the neighborhood. I'm all of them and I'm thinking about me, like I know what everyone thinks about me." Dudley's voice dropped down along with his gaze. For a few moments, he simply stared at his empty plate, pushing random crumbs around with his fork. "No one thinks much of me," he finally added.

"It's ok, sweetie, they will. You're just not you, yet. But, you will be soon." Once again, just as he felt completely alone and miserable, she was there. Luna set her hands protectively on his shoulders, gently caressing them.

Dudley wondered if he should ask her something. Do I know you? Have we met? Why are you being so nice to me? He decided, however, that it was probably better not to ask, worried that if he did, she might disappear. True, he had no idea why she was being so nice to him, but he was in no position to turn away any kindness. Besides, somehow just having her close lifted his spirits.

"Luna, what is going on?" Harry asked incredulously. He just couldn't ignore her odd behavior any longer. "Do you know Dudley from somewhere?"

Luna smiled kindly. "Somewhen more than somewhere, though I'm not sure there's any difference. Don't worry about us, though, Harry. We'll sort ourselves out later. You boys keep chatting." With one last squeeze, Luna released Dudley's shoulders and reached out to take Ginny's arm. "Come on, Ginny, let's let the boys talk privately. They'll be fine on their own. Besides, I need your help with names." Ginny looked at Harry, confused. He nodded his head and she allowed Luna to lead her away. As they left, Harry heard Luna say, "What do you think of 'Sebastian'?"

Turning back to Dudley, who once again appeared revitalized, Harry said, "Luna can be a bit strange sometimes."

"Strange?" Dudley replied. "She seems the most normal one of your lot that I've ever met!"

Harry laughed. Some ideas had begun to percolate in his mind, especially when he recalled their earlier conversation with Luna regarding divinations and visions of the future. "Ok, let's just leave that for now. So, you're having nightmares about the Dementors, or at least what they made you see. Why did you want to come see me about it? You've never had much use for me."

"It's not like anyone else could understand," Dudley pointed out. "Besides, the strange thing is that, even though I become everyone else I know, I never become you. I never see what you think of me. I guess I just thought that maybe that meant I should ask you about it."

"You know, this is probably the longest conversation we've ever had, at least without physical violence being involved," Harry noted. Intellectually, he knew he still had every reason in the world to hate his cousin. Without even trying, he could recall countless incidents of Dudley's cruelty, intolerance, or just general nastiness. After all the years of fighting true evil, though, in the form of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, Harry could not find the same old hatred for Dudley, especially this Dudley sitting before him.

"Yeah, about that," Dudley said slowly. "I guess I was kind of mean to you, when we were kids."

"A bit," Harry answered in a wry tone.

"I'm sorry about the toad," Dudley said sincerely. "And the other stuff, too. I guess it was pretty awful for you, growing up with Mum and Dad being the way they were. And me, I guess."

Harry did not reply immediately. Truthfully, he didn't know what to think. On the one hand, such simple words could not erase the years of abuse and neglect that he had suffered at the hands of the Dursleys. It had taken him years to realize just what they had done to him and to overcome it, to learn to trust and to love. Though Vernon and Petunia, as the responsible adults, bore the brunt of the blame, Dudley certainly had contributed his share to Harry's miserable childhood. On the other hand, though, Dudley did seem to be expressing some regret for his actions. Also, if Harry was correctly interpreting Luna's odd pronouncements, Dudley appeared destined to play some sort of role in Harry's life in the future.

"I'm not sure what to say, Dudley," Harry finally said. "It's hard to forgive an entire lifetime of mistreatment. I really don't know what to say about your dreams, either. I don't know what I think of you, right now."

Dudley shrugged and stood up. "Fair enough. I suppose you'll want me to go."

"You don't have to go just yet," Harry offered. "You had a long drive and besides, it is Luna's birthday and I have the feeling that she'd want you to stay."

On cue as always, Luna strolled back into the kitchen, accompanied by Ginny. "Of course I want him to stay, Harry. I'm still working on the name. Do you like 'Brad'?" she asked.

Dudley thought for a moment. He really had no idea why this girl was so intent on changing his name, but he also found he didn't mind overly much. He'd always hated the name Dudley in any case. Really, why did it matter what she called him, as long as she kept talking to him. Brad, though…

"Won't work, will it? I mean, lots of my stuff is monogrammed, so I need to keep the same initials," Dudley finally responded.

"Silly me, you're right," Luna said, slapping her head. "I really should have known that since we've both got the same initials."

"But Luna, your initials are L. L. and his are D. D." Ginny pointed out.

Dudley and Luna exchanged puzzled glances. "Yeah, same initials. That's what she said," Dudley replied quickly.

"That's right," Luna agreed. Suddenly, her eyes grew bright and she smiled widely. "I've got it. How about 'Darren'?"

Dudley turned it over in his mind. The name seemed as good as any, and it did start with a D. "Sure, ok," he replied. "If you like. Darren." He turned it over in his head. "I think I like it. Hey, do you want to go for a walk or something, Luna?"

"I would like that very much," Luna said, blushing slightly, "but first we should introduce you to my father. I just know he's going to love you." Dudley shrugged and let her take his arm and draw him into the next room.

 


	3. A Long Walk

 Harry watched out the window as Dudley and Luna strolled amiably down the lane, seemingly oblivious to Neville and Hannah who followed at a discreet distance. It wasn't that Harry didn't trust Luna's ability to defend herself or that he suspected Dudley would attempt to take liberties with his friend, but still, as Moody would have said, 'constant vigilance' was never a bad idea. Satisfied that they had gone, he returned to the kitchen where Weasleys (old and new) awaited.

"Harry, Ginny has told us what is going on and I must say that I'm a bit concerned," Hermione announced as soon as he entered the room. "You know what I think about divination, but it does seem inarguable that Luna has been having visions of some sort."

"Forget about her," Ron interrupted. "What about him? You really don't believe all that 'I'm sorry I'm a big fat jerk' and 'Oooo the scary dementor' stuff, do you? I mean, it's Dudley Dursley!"

Harry sat down heavily, thankful to feel Ginny's warm arm slide into place around his neck. "I don't know what to think, Ron. He seemed sincere enough. Remember, he had to grow up with Vernon and Petunia, too. Sometimes I wonder if they didn't actually do better by me."

"Well, you aren't a rotund, sweaty git," Fred pointed out.

"Nor do you have the brain capacity of a walnut," George added.

"And you do have better fashion sense."

"Though that's because our sister dresses you."

Hermione glared at the two of them. "Could you two be serious for one moment here? This could be very important." Fred and George rolled their eyes at each other, but fell silent.

"Why do you think it's important, Hermione?" Ron asked. "It's just Dudley."

"Because for better or worse, he's the closest thing to family Harry has," Ginny answered quietly. "I know that we are all his family now, but Dudley is his cousin and Petunia was his mother's sister. People can change," she continued, looking softly into Harry's eyes.

Harry stared at Ginny with some confusion. Few people got more worked up about the treatment he had received from the Dursleys than Ginny did. Noting his expression, Ginny continued. "Luna told me a little about what is going on. I guess that I'm more used to her than the rest of you. I don't find her nearly as confusing as I used to. Really, there's always a thread of logic in what she says. You just have to tease it out. I think that Dudley… Darren… is going to be important to her. I don't know why, but she thinks so, and I believe her. She's our friend and we have to respect her choices. Maybe he really has changed, or can."

Everyone fell silent, considering Ginny's words. After some time, Harry spoke. "I don't know that I can ever forget what Dudley Dursley did to me as a child, but I guess I can give Darren Dursley a chance, for Luna's sake, if for no other reason."

"That's very nice, Harry," Hermione said gently, "but it still doesn't explain the bit about the dementors. I'll have to give it some thought. I think we have books on dementors in the archives which might explain something."

"We'd better get back in there, even if the guest of honor has disappeared again," Harry announced, rising to his feet. "Maybe I'll ask Dudley if he wants to stay the night."

"Darren, dear," Ginny corrected, "and I think that would be a good idea. If nothing else, he'll need some time to recover from Luna." Everyone laughed fondly and returned to the party.

\-------------------------

At first, Dudley had thought that he'd show off his car. That was what guys did to impress girls, after all, at least as far as he'd ever heard. By the time they'd gotten to the end of the drive, he had given up on the plan. He just knew it was a bad idea. So, they walked on beyond his car and down the country lane. If the cold air bothered his companion, she certainly didn't show it. Instead, she strolled next to him in a companionable silence, smiling up at the stars and at him, when she caught his eye. The silence didn't really bother Dudley too much. He knew he wasn't very good with words and they seemed superfluous in any case. He enjoyed walking next to her, so he walked next to her. That was enough.

After awhile, Dudley became aware that someone was following them. Before he could turn to look back, though, he felt Luna's hand on his arm. "Don't worry about Neville and Hannah," she said, breaking the silence that had settled over them since they had left the house. "They won't bother us and it makes everyone feel better to know that someone is watching over us."

"I guess Harry doesn't trust me much," Dudley replied quietly.

"Not yet," Luna answered. Dudley noted that she'd left her hand lying gently on his arm. The thought warmed up the chill night air considerably.

"It must be pretty keen being a witch," he pointed out. "What's it like?"

"Oh, it's fun most of the time, when we're not fighting evil," Luna explained. "In a week or so, for example, I get to go with my father on an expedition to Scotland to track down some Curl-toed Fruit Swackers. They're very tricky creatures, you see, and hard to photograph."

"I like animals," Dudley informed her, wanting to feel that he was keeping up his end of the conversation.

"Of course you do, Darren," Luna replied with that fond smile that Dudley found so disarming. "We'll have a devil of a time tracking them down, let me tell you!" she continued.

Dudley thought for a moment. "Well, maybe you could get some fruit, you know, as bait. Then, when they come out to swack it, you can snap your photos!"

Luna pondered Dudley's plan. "What type of fruit do you suppose they like to swack?" she asked.

"Well, I'd need to know more about them."

Luna proceeded to describe the ecology of the Curl-toed Fruit Swacker, making sure to clarify the differences between them and their cousins the Straight-toed Fruit Swackers. Dudley listened patiently, asking pertinent questions now and then such as "Are they furry?" and "What do they do with the fruit after they swack it?" Finally, he felt confident that he understood the creatures well enough to offer a suggestion.

"I'd use bananas."

"Of course!" Luna shouted out joyously. "I should have thought of it myself. Daddy will be so pleased. He's been trying to get a photo of them for ages." She gave Dudley a quick hug, and then pulled away, blushing and suddenly shy. Shy was a new emotion for Luna and she reveled in it.

"You could do that again, if you wanted," Dudley stammered, trying to settle down his heart rate.

"Do what?" Luna replied coquettishly, happy to have finally found the opportunity in her life to be coquettish. (She had been waiting for the chance for years.)

Dudley took a deep breath and collected himself. He'd never really been alone with a girl and he'd certainly never felt this way before. This was new territory for him and he hoped he wouldn't mess things up. Screwing up his courage, he stepped closer to Luna and gently placed his large arms around her tiny waist. "This," he answered, exerting the lightest of pressure to hug her. Luna settled herself into the soft, warm embrace and sighed happily.

"We should head back," she eventually whispered, regretfully pulling away and turning towards Harry and Ginny's house.

They strolled back, taking their time, enjoying once again that comfortable silence. Now and again, Luna would squeeze his arm gently and smile over at him. Each time, his heart raced and he felt the heat on his cheeks. Eventually, he found the courage to shift her hand down into his own and they continued on, fingers entwined loosely.

As they began their walk up the drive, Luna spoke. "I just knew you would be a perfect gentleman."

"No one's ever called me that before," Dudley replied in a low monotone voice. He felt dazed, as if he had just gone ten rounds in the ring, without any head protection. "I don't think I ever knew what it meant before."

"And you know now?" Luna asked.

Dudley hesitated over his words. It was so hard to speak, especially with his mind awhirl with all these strange feelings. "I think it means doing things for people… for you… well… treating you the way you deserve," he stumbled out. He knew that it didn't make any sense, but before he could feel ashamed, she was suddenly leaning up on her toes and placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"I forgot to get you a birthday present," he blurted out, trying to generate coherent thought. The fact that he hadn't even known she'd existed before this evening did not matter. He knew that if that the situation had been reversed, she would have brought him one.

"You drove all the way down here and you took me on a very nice walk," she pointed out. "Besides, you gave me that wonderful idea for the Swackers!"

"What idea is that?" a deep voice inquired from the doorway. Dudley looked up, startled to realize that they had made it all the way back. Luna's father eyed him skeptically even as he examined his daughter to make sure she had come back in one piece. Dudley noted Harry and Ginny standing behind Mr. Lovegood as well.

If Luna was put out by the attention, she hid it well. She strode forward and happily explained to her father about the banana trap that 'Darren' had proposed.

"I say," Mr. Lovegood announced when she had finished her tale, "that is a brilliant idea. Thank you, Darren. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again, but for now, it is time for us to Floo home, Luna."

Dudley noted that the party was drawing to a close. Most of the guests had already left. Neville and Hannah vanished before his eyes while a few other folks mounted brooms and took off into the night. Dudley looked at his watch and frowned. He had a long drive ahead. He walked into the house with the Lovegoods and waved to Luna sadly as she stepped into the fireplace with her father.

"I'll see you soon, Darren," she called out. "Don't fret!" With that, she blew him a quick kiss and vanished in a puff of green smoke.

Dudley turned to face his cousin. Only at that moment did he remember why he had come to Godric's Hollow in the first place. The nightmares didn't seem so important anymore.

"I guess I'd better get going. Sorry to crash your party," he said to Harry and Ginny, pulling out his car keys.

"You can stay the night if you like, Darren," Ginny offered. "We have an extra room for guests all made up."

Dudley looked over to Harry who nodded his assent. "Ok, thanks. I am pretty tired. It's been a long day."

"I can only imagine," Harry chuckled. He gave his fiancé a quick kiss and gestured for Dudley to follow him up the stairs. He showed Dudley to his room and prepared to head back downstairs to help Ginny with the clean-up. Before leaving his cousin alone, however, he couldn't help asking the question that had been niggling in his mind.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Dudley replied.

"Why a banana?" Harry had been turning it over in his mind ever since Luna had explained it all to her father.

"Well, you see," Dudley explained with a big yawn, "if they live in Scotland, then they'll have never seen a tropical fruit and probably not anything yellow, so they'll be curious and anxious to swack something new."

"Ok, I guess that actually makes sense," Harry answered, recalling his girlfriend's words and trying to find the thread of reason.

"Of course it does. Perfect sense. Good night, Harry, and thanks for everything."

"Good night, Darren." Harry grinned in amazement and shut the door behind himself.

 

 


	4. Back Home

  _Silently, the shadowy forms drifted along the street. They were coming for him again, sucking the life and hope from his very soul. This time, though, he was not the only target. Even as the familiar pain and heartache of his parents' murder rose in his thoughts, he felt them probing and prodding his mind for something new. Whatever it was, he would not let them have it._

Harry sat up quickly, the cold sweat running down his forehead. How long had it been since he'd had a nightmare that potent? Ginny's warm hand gently stroked the hair from his forehead, pushing it up out of his eyes, reminding him of the answer. Not once since she had begun sharing his bed had he woken up like that. She quietly caressed him, waiting patiently while he calmed himself. That was just one of the countless things that he loved about her, the way she always knew exactly what to do. Settling back into place at her side, he kissed her gently and shared everything with her.

\----

The drive home seemed to take less time than the trip to Godric's Hollow. Munching on a snack he'd bought at the gas station, Dudley momentarily regretted leaving so early. Perhaps Harry's girlfriend would have cooked him breakfast if he'd lingered. The more he thought about it, though, the happier he was that he had left when he did. He hoped that his thank-you note would suffice to repay his cousin for letting him use his room. Dudley hadn't seen any point in imposing on Harry any longer than necessary. Entering his own home, Dudley detected the distinct smell of overcooked sausages.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're home, Duddiepoo," his mother gushed as he came in the front door. "I was worried that you wouldn't have a proper breakfast, so I've kept something warm for you."

"It's ok, mum, I've eaten," Dudley mumbled. He really hated it when she called him that. At least Luna had consulted him before giving him a new name. Without another word, he skulked up to his room and changed into his workout clothes.

When Dudley returned from his jog, he immediately noticed something was amiss. Traditionally, this would have been a sign that something strange had happened and Harry was in for it again. Unfortunately, Harry was long gone. As he walked up the drive, Dudley noticed his father glaring at him from the front doorway.

"You, inside, now," Vernon commanded once Dudley was within earshot. Dudley tried to recall if he'd done anything to get into trouble lately. Stepping inside, he realized the problem. A tawny, somewhat dilapidated owl sat perched on the banister. The bird spun its head around to observe Dudley as he came in and made an odd squawk, as if in greeting.

"That," Vernon began, pointing a pudgy finger at the owl, "brought this." He redirected his finger to a piece of parchment resting in his other hand.

"Why would an owl bring Harry's mail here?" Dudley asked. "He lives in Godric's Hollow."

"How do you know where he lives?" Vernon exploded.

The noise brought Petunia out of the kitchen. She screamed upon seeing the owl. "What is that thing doing in our home? It's going to scratch the wood!"

"Never mind the bloody wood, woman," Vernon retorted hotly. "Dudley, what is the meaning of this?!" He thrust the parchment in Dudley's face.

Suppressing the urge to slap his father's hand out of his face, Dudley took hold of the parchment and examined it. It was sealed with an odd purple substance, though slight tears in the parchment around the seal indicated that someone had tried to open it. Across the side, it read "To Darren." As he watched, the word Darren flickered and was replaced by the word Dudley written in red with a line through it. The message flashed from Darren to not-Dudley every few seconds.

"Who is Darren?" Petunia asked, leaning over her husband's shoulder.

"I'm Darren," Dudley replied with a hint of pride. He quickly began trying to figure out how best to get away from his parents. He had no intention of reading a note from Luna with his parents around.

"You are not bloody Darren!" Vernon shouted. "You are named for my great uncle Dudley, one of the finest Dursleys to ever walk the face of the earth. Now, why on earth are you getting messages from Potter? And why is he calling you Darren?"

"It's not from him, is it?" Dudley replied. "It's from someone else." With that, he attempted to move up the stairs, only to be blocked by his father.

"Where do you think you are going? Open that right now and give it here!"

"Vernon, please don't shout at little Duddikins," Petunia interjected.

"Quiet, woman! I will handle this!"

Dudley's eyes narrowed as his father shouted at his mother. "I see you already tried to open it yourself. Wouldn't let you, would it? Well, it's my letter and I'm reading it by myself."

Vernon's face turned dark red as he leaned down, directly in front of his son. Foam frothed at the edges of his lips as he breathed heavily, barely controlling his rage. "You will open it right here, right now, or so help me I'll…"

"You'll what? Lock me in the cupboard and forget to feed me for a few days?" Dudley shouted back. "Smack me around a bit and tell the neighbors I fell down the stairs? Give it a try, old man. I'm not afraid of you like Harry was."

For a moment, the two men stood staring at each other. Petunia wept silently, unsure what to do and afraid to move at all lest she spark an explosion. Finally, Dudley ended the stand off by simply shoving past his father, storming up to his room, and slamming the door behind him.

"Not one word," Vernon whispered to his wife. "Not one word." He grabbed his hat and coat and left the house. Petunia stumbled into the sitting room and collapsed onto a chair.

\--------

It took Dudley a few minutes to settle down enough to even remember about the letter in his hands. As gently as he could, and cursing the fact that he had inherited his father's fat, clumsy fingers, he broke the seal and opened the parchment.

_Dear Darren,_

_Thank you so much for the lovely birthday present. Mom always used to say how important it was to send thank-you notes right after a party, so I've started right away. I'm doing yours first, as you can tell._

_Dad says it's ok for you to come along with us when we go looking for the C-T F S's. He would like you to bring some extra bananas if you can, maybe a papaya as well. He claims he just wants to thank you for your help, but I expect he wants to interrogate you. I've already told him that we will be good and do nothing more than snog now and then when he is not around._

_I will come by to pick you up on Friday. Harry and Ginny will tell me how to find your place. I suppose I could just follow my owl, as they always seem to know where to go, but then again, that might be hard, being unable to fly. I could use a broom, but I've never liked that much. Best to just get the address, I think._

_See you on Friday!_

_Luna_

The next few days went by much more smoothly than Dudley had feared. In the time-honored Dursley tradition, his parents had apparently decided to pretend that the unpleasant incident with the owl and the letter had never occurred. For his part, Dudley did all he could to avoid his parents. He spent as much time as possible out of the house, working out, taking long hikes and such. He hadn't had a nightmare since his visit to Godric's Hollow, so he relished the opportunity to get some good, uninterrupted sleep. Normally, he might have spent time with his cronies, but the visions of his dreams had left him unenthusiastic about the lads in the neighborhood. Besides, the only thing he really could concentrate on was Luna, and he certainly wasn't about to discuss her with louts like them.

Each day, he replayed in his mind the events of that evening at Potter's house: the things she said, every step of their walk together, the feel of her in his arms and her lips on his cheek. By Thursday evening, he had mostly forgotten the fight with his father, so anxious was he to see Luna again the next day. Dudley's spirits were quite high as he returned home from the grocer, a bag of various tropical fruits under his arm.

"What's all that then?" Vernon grunted, looking up from the table as Dudley set his bag on the counter in the kitchen.

"How sweet and thoughtful!" Petunia exclaimed. "Duddikins has done some grocery shopping for his mumsy."

"That's for my trip," Dudley mumbled, suddenly recalling that he'd failed to inform his parents about the outing to Scotland. "I'm going… camping… with some friends tomorrow. Be gone a week or so."

"Camping?" Vernon asked with a contemptuous snort. "What's the use in that? Sitting around in the mud, bugs all about. What're you going all the way to Scotland for?"

Dudley shrugged, knowing that his parents didn't generally care that much about what he did. True to form, Vernon was soon distracted by something on the television and Petunia went back to her cooking.

A sudden staccato rapping on the front door jolted the Dursleys from their individual activities. "Who could be visiting just before dinner?" Petunia asked huffily. Dudley felt an odd premonition, however, and looking over into his father's accusatory stare, he knew his dad had the same notion. He and Vernon jostled out of their seats and moved toward the front door. Dudley tried to speed up to get there first, but Vernon matched his pace. Dudley hustled a bit more but Vernon broke out into a house-shuddering sprint and reached the door first. He beamed triumphantly at Dudley as he flung the door open, revealing a small man in robes with a pointy hat.

"Aha!" Vernon shouted, "I knew it would be one of your type. Go away! You won't be corrupting my son with your nasty, freakish ways!"

Dudley felt the anger beginning to rise inside him. He clenched his fists tightly and pushed roughly past his startled father, inserting himself between Vernon and their guest. "Excuse me, sir," he mumbled quietly to Mr. Lovegood, struggling not to reveal his rage in his voice, "could you give us a moment?" Mr. Lovegood raised an eyebrow at the scene unfolding before him, but then shrugged and stepped back.

Turning, Dudley saw the anger in his heart reflected on his father's face. The vein on the side of his head pulsed as his forehead glowed redder and redder. It was a horrid sight and it defused some of Dudley's own emotion. Was this what he looked like to other people? Was this who he was becoming? Who he already was?

"Dad." Using every control technique he had taught himself over the last few years, Dudley restrained his fury and controlled his tone. "Dad, I know what you think of 'his type' but it's important to me that you be nice to him."

"What is this about!" Vernon exploded. "Be nice to him??!! To one of them??"

Dudley counted to ten slowly, looking over his father's shoulder at his mother for support. "Mum, please," he pleaded.

Confusion washed across Petunia's face and demeanor. Dudley could see the struggle taking place in her head between her love for him and her hatred of anything to do with magic and wizards. "But Duddy, why is one them here? Why do you want anything to do with him?" she whined at him.

Taking a deep breath, Dudley stood straight and looked both his parents directly in their eyes. "He's my girlfriend's dad, and I want you to be nice to him," he declared proudly.

"WHAT!!!!!!" Vernon's red rage shifted to purple and the vein on his head seemed about to explode. "YOUR GIRLFRIEND!?!"

Petunia simply stared in shock at her son, unable or unwilling to react to this pronouncement. Vernon placed his hands roughly on Dudley's shoulders and leaned down into his face. As he spoke, flecks of spittle found their way past his brushy moustache and onto Dudley's nose.

"No son of mine, no Dursley, will ever… EVER… date one of them. Dursleys are normal, good-standing people. No son of mine will associate himself with a filthy, disgusting, freakish whore of a witch!"

Two things happened at that moment. None present would ever know exactly how it all happened. Though she would never tell the tale to another living soul, if she had, she would have noted that she had heard these noises even as she was overwhelmed in a cloud of dust and smoke: a fleshy thud, a sharp crack, and a loud bang.

When the dust settled, she had noticed three things:

Dudley breathing heavily, his fists clenched before him bruised and bloody;

Her front door, completely gone, replaced by a pile of splintered wood and glass;

Vernon, lying on his back all the way down the hallway, unconscious, with a large bruise forming on his jaw and his clothes smoking gently.

The wizarding-looking fellow had then stepped across the threshold and gently guided her son by his shoulders out of her house. Meeting her teary-eyed gaze, he'd mumbled, "Potter told me what to expect, but I'd never have believed it. Your husband will recover, madam, and you may inform him when he does, that if he ever speaks that way of my daughter again…"

She waited a moment, but he never completed his threat. She stood mutely as her only son waved sheepishly at her and accompanied the odd man to his automobile down by the curb. Just then, a sudden thought shook her out of her catatonia.

"Wait!" she cried out, dashing back to the kitchen, careful not to tread on her husband's supine form. Grabbing the bag of fruit off the counter, she hurried back to the front lawn and presented it to her son.

"Thanks, Mum," he said quietly, taking it from her. "I'll see you," he added, meeting her gaze.

She nodded silently and then reached out to tousle his hair. He and the wizard got into the car and drove off together. Petunia watched them depart, ignoring the stares of her neighbors who had poked their heads outside to see what all the fuss was about. Finally, she turned and went back inside.

 

 


	5. Scotland and Beyond

The trip to Scotland easily marked the high point in Dudley's life. He'd spent almost the entire drive north with Mr. Lovegood apologizing for his father. The old man waved off these apologies, but the conversation provided Dudley with an opportunity to vent. Mr. Lovegood seemed to know just what questions to ask to make Dudley… no Darren… feel comfortable enough to share. Deep down, Darren loved his parents, well, certainly his mum and yes even his father, but that didn't make his relationship with them any less complex. Strangely, Darren had never really let himself notice any of these issues consciously, but once he started explaining his home life to Mr. Lovegood, things just fell into place. A lot of things that had bothered him for years started to make some sense.

For his part, it took Mr. Lovegood some time to calm himself down. He strove not to show his anger and frustration to this strange Muggle whom his daughter assured him would be playing an increasingly large role in his life. His initial anger had been focused on the foul way in which this Vernon Dursley had referenced his beloved Luna, but as Darren shared more about his life, that anger shifted from the specific incident to the more general situation the poor lad, and by proxy Harry, had found themselves in in this household. As he contemplated it, he considered something that hadn't previously occurred to him; maybe having a living, breathing Horcrux in your home made it hard to be a normal, loving family. Mr. Lovegood wasn't quite ready to absolve the Dursleys of their sins, but he wondered how his life might have gone if he'd spent it in such close proximity to a shard of He-who-Must-Not-be-Named's soul.

Somewhere just south of Hadrian's Wall, their conversation shifted away from the past and towards the future. Darren realized he'd probably spent more time talking on this car trip than he had over the last year and was happy to sit back and listen as Mr. Lovegood regaled him with tales of the strange and mystical beasts which roamed the highlands.

When they arrived in the remote hills where Mr. Lovegood assured Darren the Curl-toed Fruit Swackers congregated, they found Luna had already set up the campsite. The sight of the waifish blonde girl brought a warmth to Darren's heart and he barely restrained himself from running forward to embrace her. He needn't have worried, though, as Luna rose swiftly and dashed up, taking him by both hands and pulling him forward. "I've missed you, Darren," she said quietly, in that soft tone which he'd only ever heard directed at him. To her father, she called "I'll show Darren around the tent, Daddy, while you get the fruit boxes ready."

Darren examined the campsite and blushed, dismayed to realize his palms had started to sweat in Luna's hands. If she was grossed out by that, she didn't show it, though she did note his concern.

"What's wrong, dear?" she said, with the easy informality of an old married couple, rather than someone on their second date.

"Well, ummm," Darren sputtered, "there's only one tent, and there's three of us…."

Luna's laugh washed over him like the water from a cool mountain stream. "It's more than big enough, silly." She tugged him forward and threw open the tent flap to reveal a grand, carpeted room, like some sheikh's nomad palace. Darren stumbled inside, trying to wrap his brain around what he was seeing. "It's bigger on the inside," he muttered.

Luna laughed again and dragged him deeper in. "That's Daddy's room," she pointed, "and mine is over there. You'll be in the one on the other side, in here." She pulled him through a door and helped him unload his duffel onto the bed. It was bigger than his bedroom at home and much more tastefully furnished.

"I'll give you some time to freshen up from your trip. The bathroom is on the left of where we came in. I'll help Daddy with the boxes. See you soon!" Before leaving, she leaned up and kissed him on the lips, just a peck but their first kiss of that sort and both young adults blushed deeply. Before Darren could really process that development, Luna fled the room giggling.

Thus began, as previously stated, one of the best weeks of Darren Dursley's life. Days spent meticulously placing various pieces of tropical fruit in strategically located boxes; long periods of calm and comfortable silence as they waited and watched punctuated by moments of sheer adrenalin as a Swacker appeared and photos were hastily taken. In the evenings, Dudley contentedly sat by the fireplace outside the tent ('more authentic camping', Luna insisted), holding his girlfriend's hand and listening happily as she and her father discussed the Swackers, planned future expeditions, or otherwise chatted about all things magical. Darren began to acclimate to life in the Wizarding World, learning which things the Lovegoods used magic to do and which they did the normal way. No, he corrected himself, not the normal way. The other way. He recognized his parents' programming in the thought that their way of life was "normal" and other ways were not.

As Luna had predicted, she and Darren did manage to sneak off from time to time when her father was kind enough to make himself busy. Neither had any great deal of experience with snogging but learning together was a great deal of fun and left both Darren and Luna breathless and laughing.

All too soon, though, the week came to an end. Mr. Lovegood had to prepare his next issue with all the wonderful photos they'd taken and Luna needed to get back to her job at the Magical Animal Preserve. Darren didn't really have anywhere to go. He'd finished school, but not gotten a job. His father made noise about him joining his firm, but Mom had insisted that her little Duddipoo be given a break. She was in no rush for him to start his adult life.

Packing his duffel into the back of Mr. Lovegood's vehicle (procured from Harry's girlfriend's dad, apparently, and magicked up), Luna took advantage of another convenient absence on her father's part to pull Darren into a long and serious kiss. "Now, when you get home, things will not be pleasant. It will still be some time before the effects wear off and your parents get as close to normal as they ever do," Luna said. "They spoil the kids, but I suppose it's to be expected," she sighed resignedly. Darren wasn't sure what kids she was referring to. Sure, they'd spoiled him, but only him, certainly not Harry. "I think you should go back to see Harry soon," she continued. "Hermoine's probably figured it out by now and it'll be good for you to spend time with your cousin anyway."

"Hermione is Harmony, right?" he asked, with vague recollections of an intense brunette with tangled hair barking questions at him and Luna.

"Hermione, not Harmony," she explained. "It's cute when baby Rose says it that way, but not you." She kissed the tip of his nose to apologize for not finding him cute.

"Why would she be at Harry's?"

"Well, she and Ron live nearby, of course. They're really inseparable, the four of them," Luna pointed out with a warm smile. "Godric's Hollow is a wonderful place to live, though of course far too tame for our tastes. Hardly any magical creatures at all!"

Darren nodded. He'd learned very quickly this week not to worry at all about things his girlfriend said or did that he didn't understand. He just trusted her and knew that eventually it would all make sense. Just as she accepted him as he was, he accepted her completely. He didn't know where they'd live, but it was nice to know that they'd live together. Pulling her close, he gave her another deep kiss. He felt her warm, thin body press against his and felt himself responding to that. Luna emitted a small moan and rubbed against him in a particularly enjoyable way before reluctantly pulling away just before her father reappeared by the car. "Soon," she whispered, her breath hot in his ear. "The first couple times will be a bit awkward, but it's going to be fabulous," she promised, squeezing his hand and leaving him breathless.

"See you soon!" she called, stepping away as if nothing had happened and kissing her father on the cheek. "Ride safe," she commanded as they loaded up and drove off.

A week later, Darren once again sat his cousin's kitchen table. It had been a tense few days at home. Sometime while he was gone, his father had had the door replaced. Darren's mother made cautious overtures to him, especially while Vernon was at work, but whenever Darren begin discussing specifically magical things, she turned pale and changed the subject. Vernon ignored his son for the most part, saying perhaps ten words to him over the entire time. It wasn't pleasant, but it was better than yelling and punching. Darren decided to simply trust Luna's words that time would make things better.

He spent some time with old friends, but that felt empty. Now that he knew from his nightmares what they thought of him, it was hard to spend time with them. Really, they had nothing to talk about. After a couple evenings idly discussing football or tossing darts, he stopped bothering.

It was only when the next nightmare came that Darren realized he hadn't had any since meeting Luna. The nights he'd spent in the tent, he'd gotten the best sleep he'd ever had. Thus, he was totally unprepared for their return.

_As always, he stood in the dark mists of the playground as the all-too-familiar wraiths swirled around him. Again, he began to see horrific, distorted versions of himself, from the viewpoint of old friends, teachers, classmates, and his parents. This time, though, different visions arose. He briefly saw a taller, leaner version of himself, standing tall and proud. The vision lifted his spirits ever so briefly before the Dementors swooped down, flying in a frenzy around him as if to burn away that brief moment of hope. He struggled to hold on to that one shining moment, but it eluded him, and he felt the despair clutch at his soul before suddenly that familiar burst of light shook him awake._

"So the nightmares came back a few days after you returned to Privet Drive?" Ginny asked, handing him a cup of coffee. She settled back at the table next to Harry, idly laying her hand over his. Darren had arrived almost an hour ago, appearing unsure himself as to why he was there.

Ever since the party, Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been trying to figure out what was going on with Dudley. The latter spent her evenings lingering in long-ignored sections at the Ministry of Magic, reading all she could on Dementors. Ginny and Ron worked to come to grips with the fact that someone they'd loathed for so long would apparently now be part of their friend circle, thanks to Luna. Harry, though, had been more introspective about the whole thing. Ginny found him one evening looking at an old picture book she didn't even know he'd owned. Very few of the photos of his and Dudley's childhood had him in them and apparently Petunia had been more than happy to discard those which did. Harry had found them in an old shoebox in the attic as he'd been packing up the last of his few meager possessions from Privet Drive. Apparently, Petunia couldn't bear to get rid of any photos of her beloved Dudley.

"Yeah," Harry's cousin replied, "a few nights after I got back."

"How was Scotland, Dudley?" Ginny felt horrible almost immediately as she saw the look of revulsion that swept over the young man across the table. "Darren," she corrected, "sorry!"

He waved it off and sipped his coffee. "It was the best week of my life," he said simply. "Luna is the best thing that's ever happened to me." The pure love and adoration in his voice made Ginny's heart melt and she knew that if Darren could care for her good friend like that, he must be ok.

Harry looked up, as if only now realizing a conversation was taking place around him. "Hermione will be here soon. She told me at work that she thought she was on to something but needed to check one more source."

"Sounds like her," Ginny laughed.

Darren shrugged, "That'd be good, I guess, to know what's going on." He thought for a moment more and asked, "Hey, are they hiring at your office? Are there any jobs that maybe you need a Muddle for?"

"Muggle, and why do you ask?" Harry asked, befuddled.

"Well, if I'm going to provide for Luna and all, I need a job, don't I?"

Harry and Ginny had grown accustomed to Luna's blatant disregard for the sanctity of the timeline or narrative cohesion, but hearing Darren so brazenly imply that he and Luna would be married threw them off.

"Aren't you making some pretty big assumptions there, after a couple of weeks?" Harry asked, trying to maintain an even tone.

"Just because it takes some people six years to realize that they're in love with someone doesn't mean it takes everyone that long," Ginny huffed. Harry wisely chose to ignore this comment.

For his part, Darren looked confused. "But that's what going to happen. Luna hasn't come out and said so, but even I figured that much out."

Harry spent some time bringing up things like Free Will, Determinism, and other topics which he'd heard far too much about from Hermione lately, but soon admitted defeat. Darren might be nicer, but he certainly hadn't gotten any smarter or more interested in discussing philosophy.

A knock on the door gave everyone a chance to get out of that conversation. Hermione entered, long since granted 'enter on your own' privileges, dragging a surly Ron behind her. Of them all, he'd had the most interaction with Dudley (beyond Harry, of course) and was the slowest to accept him as part of their new normal.

"You're here," Hermione stated simply, noting Darren at the table. "Well, that will save some time. I think I've figured out what's happened." Before she could continue, though, there was another knock at the door. Ginny headed to the front of the cottage and returned moments later with a radiant-looking Luna.

Darren made to stand up, but Luna pressed him back into chair with a dainty push, kissing the top of his head. "Don't mind me," she said, "but I couldn't miss this part." She gestured for Hermione to continue.

Ron saw the gears starting to spin in his wife's brain and calmly took her hand, rubbing the back of it gently with his thumb. "It's just Luna," he said soothingly, "don't mind her and go back to what you were saying." Hermione took a deep breath and carried on.

"It all has to do with emotion magic," she began. "It's not something they teach at Hogwarts, because it is very dangerous for hormonal teenagers to experiment with."

Ginny and Ron nodded, having heard of such magic. Harry looked a bit confused, but waited, knowing he could get Ginny to explain it later if he still didn't understand when Hermione was finished.

"The core of the Patronus charm is Love," she went on. "When you form your Patronus and summon it, you're really drawing on all the reserves you have of loving others and being loved yourself. That's why the form is always something reflecting either you or something you love."

"But what does that have to do with Dudley's nightmares?" Ron asked. "What?" he asked, noting the sharp glare he got from his sister and the sudden squeeze of his hand.

"It's Darren," Luna said firmly. Luna did not really "glare" but the look she gave Ron was about as close as she could come.

"Oh yeah, Darren," he stammered. "Sorry."

"Anyway," his wife picked up, "as I was saying, the Dementors feed on emotions, but not things like Love. They feed on anger and sorrow and despair. This is why they make such good prison guards. The prisoners are full of negative emotions. The Dementors feast on them and the act of feeding keeps the prisoners docile and drained."

Harry's eyes glinted harshly. "Made. Feasted. Kept." One of the first things he'd insisted on after the fall of Voldemort had been the removal of all Dementors from Azkaban.

Hermione blushed, knowing what a sore point that was with Harry. "Of course," she apologized.

"But what does it all have to do with Darren?" Ginny inquired, changing the subject. She set a cup of tea down in front of Hermione. Ron made some noise about his drink, but Ginny just gestured to the fridge. "Get your own beer," she said, eliciting some muttering about ungrateful, spoiled little sisters from her favorite brother.

Before continuing, Hermione took some time to consider how to phrase the next part. She didn't want to insult or hurt Darren, but she also would not shy away from harsh truths. Luna gave her an encouraging nod and shifted closer to Darren, laying a protective arm across his shoulders.

"Darren didn't have any reserves of love to draw on," she began slowly. "I think that's pretty clear from what you told us about your nightmares and…. Well, what we know about your life."

To her relief, Darren didn't seem put out by this. He'd only really just learned what he'd been missing his whole life. A more introspective person might have felt the loss, but Darren preferred to live in the moment and at the moment, he felt nothing but love coming from that warm hand on his neck. He even began to feel a kind of love from the other people in the room. It was nice.

"I must have been an all-you-can-eat buffet for them," he said. "No wonder they went after me!"

Harry stood and paced the room a bit, processing the new information. "That explains the night of the attack, Hermoine, but not the nightmares, and especially not why I didn't appear in them. No offense, cousin, but I certainly didn't love you back then."

"None taken, Harry," Darren replied. "I'm not sure Dudley was worthy of it anyway." The chipper tone he'd started with faded at those last words. Before that sadness could gain traction, though, he felt soft lips kissing his cheek.

"You _were_ worthy of it, darling," Luna said quietly, but loud enough for all to hear. "You were and are."

Darren thought on this for a bit. "It's a nice thing to say," he said, hating to disagree with Luna, but knowing he was right, "but, truth is, I was a real prat. Maybe I might not have been if Mum and Dad had been better, but I did my own bad stuff, too." He gave Luna's hand a quick squeeze and stood up, moving to face Harry. He extended a hand. "I'm really sorry, Harry, for all the crap I gave you. I know that doesn't do anything to make up for it, but I hope you'll give me a chance to do better in the future."

Harry looked at the outstretched hand and then back up at his cousin. The rest fell silent as they waited to see what he might say. It was one thing for them to forgive Darren, but Harry was the one who had suffered the most at his hands.

"I'm sorry, too, Darren," he said finally. "It can't have been easy growing up in a household with a Horcrux. I know you don't know what that is, but let's just say it was something really evil and nasty that someone very bad put inside of me when I was a baby. Ron and I just about killed each other after only a few days of holding one. You lived with one your whole life."

"Doesn't sound like that's your fault, if someone did it to you."

"Maybe not, but I'm sorry anyway." Harry took Darren's hand and shook it. Darren looked over at Luna and got an encouraging nod. He pulled Harry into a "bro hug", tapping him on the back a few times.

"Thanks," he said finally, before realizing something. "Hey, wait, where's this twat who put a bad thing into you. Let's go kick his arse!"

Harry stepped back with a laugh. "Been there, done that," he replied.

A bit disgruntled that he'd missed the opportunity to pound on the sod who'd screwed with his family, Darren settled back next to Luna. "You're wonderful," she whispered so only he could hear. The feel of her breath on his neck gave him goosebumps and made him blush.

Ginny sat Harry down again and stood behind him, arms wrapped loosely around his chest, laying her head on his. She and Hermione sniffled back some tears and even Ron looked moved by the scene.

"To continue," Hermione eventually went on, "recurring nightmares after a Dementor attack are not uncommon, but such things have happened rarely since the Dementors were gathered and assigned to Azkaban. I had to dig back through old records predating that to find out. I even saw some studies indicating that Muggles were particularly susceptible, but those really could use some additional peer reviews to properly validate their findings…."

"Focus," Ron said gently, smiling at his wife. Of all the things he loved about her, her incessant drive to learn was high on the list.

"Yes," she continued, blushing slightly, "anyway, that would explain the nightmares. The only part I can't figure out is why Harry was excluded from them. I suppose it's possible using some form of Legilimens magic, but Harry, you weren't capable of such subtle casting back then."

"Even if I was, I wouldn't have done it," Harry admitted. "I had my own problems during that attack."

"Oh, that's an easy one," Luna interjected. "I did it."

Everyone turned to stare at her. Ron all but lifted his wife's jaw back into place. For a moment, no one could respond as they processed this impossible information. Darren, not quite getting what had everyone so worked up, turned to his girlfriend and smiled. "Hey, thanks, babe! That was really sweet of you!" Luna blushed and tilted her head shyly in a way that Darren knew meant she wanted him to kiss her. So he did.

As always, Ginny recovered first to the latest Luna bombshell. "Luna, that happened a long time. You barely knew Harry back then. You certainly didn't know Dud… Darren, and you hadn't had any training in such intricate magic."

Luna pondered for a moment. "No, I suppose technically not, but like I've told you, it was much harder for me to keep things straight when I was younger. It's been getting easier as I've grown. I guess when you see more of the pieces, it's easier to understand how the puzzle all fits together."

Hermione began to percolate, but Ron leapt out in front in a vain attempt to shield Luna from the inevitable grilling. "So, you didn't know why or who, but you knew where and what?"

"Exactly, Ronald!" Luna beamed. "You've gotten so wise!"

"But, but, that's not…" Hermoine began. Harry turned to her, "Is that even possible…"

As the cacophony grew and the trio plus one began to argue about deep philosophical and cosmological issues of space-time and causality, Darren slipped to his feet and tugged Luna out of the kitchen. Quietly, they slipped out the front door and, hand in hand, proceeded down the long lane outside, just as they had during that birthday party which seemed like it had taken place twelve and a half years ago.

After a good long while, Luna paused to look up at the stars. "Do you know one of the things I love most about you, Darren?"

He just waited, lingering over the joy of hearing her say that she loved him.

"You never get wrapped up in stupid, inconsequential things. You know what's important."

And he did know. Darren Dursley pulled his right-now girlfriend, someday-to-be wife, someday-later-to-be mother of his children, into his arms and kissed her soundly. He was a man of action, after all.

 


End file.
